Beating the Heat
by joudama
Summary: Angeal really hates summer in Midgar.


**Title:** Beating the Heat  
**Fandom:** Final Fantasy 7: CC  
**Rating:** G  
**Word count:** 900  
**Summary:** Angeal really hates summer in Midgar.  
**Author's Notes:** Tee-hee, ficlet time! This is based of something I did on raisedbymoogles's ij, but greatly expanded because, heh, why not? XD

Oh, and 34 degrees is about 93F. I think in Celsius now, so. ^^;;

--

It was, to put it bluntly, _too damned hot_.

Angeal had been in Midgar for a while now--Hel's realm, he'd even been in Wutai in summer, where the mosquitoes alone could be classified as deadly weapons--but he didn't think he'd ever get used to the Midgar heat.

He never would have guessed somewhere as far north as Midgar would be as unbearably hot in summer; it was only _after_ he had moved there that he head learned about things like "humidity" and "urban heat island effects." Which meant summer in Midgar was bloody _awful_. Banora had been pretty cool, since it was close to the poles, plus full of trees and with very low humidity most of the time; this Midgar heat was going to be the death of him.

Which was why he sitting in his room in just a pair of boxer shorts and his hair pulled back off his neck in a ponytail so he wouldn't shave his head to try and cool off, a pathetic little electric fan going full blast and him twitching occasionally to fan himself with a folding fan from time to time.

It just wasn't right, he thought as a bead of sweat ran down his stomach, that an electric company couldn't manage to keep their air conditioners working in the middle of summer.

He was in the process to trying to contemplate getting up and jumping in a cold shower when there was a loud banging on his door.

"Come in, Zack," he said with a lopsided grin. The only one who would knock at his door that enthusiastically was that boy.

The door all but flew open and Zack flew in right along with it, and Angeal boggled. The kid was in full uniform and looked like the heat wasn't touching him at all. In fact, he was all but glowing, bouncing around same as always, maybe even more so. Everyone else in the entire building had looked ready to wilt, but Zack looked more hyper than Angeal had seen him.

And Zack had stopped short and was staring at him. "...You hot or something?" the kid said, tilting his head like he was confused.

Angeal stared right back at him, wondering if the heat had finally fried his brain. "You're _not_?!"

Zack blinked. "Why would I be?"

The heat had finally gotten to him. Or gotten to Zack, he wasn't sure which. "...Zack, it's 34 degrees today! You did see all the health warnings blaring on the news and the signs ShinRa put up about heat stroke, right?"

"But it's only 34!," Zack said, looking surprised. "And I can't _believe_ how there's no humidity here! It's amazing!"

Angeal stared more. The humidity was up to 60%, and Zack was saying there _wasn't_ any? Angeal felt like he could barely breathe, and this was _nothing_.

He was never going to Gongaga. _Never_.

"Zack, you're letting the tiny bit of cool air there is left over from before the AC went bust out. Shut the door or leave," Angeal finally said, wiping at some sweat that was running uncomfortably down the back of his neck. He felt disgusting; wet and sticky from the sheen of sweat covering him.

Zack looked him over, then seemed to wilt. "I guess this means today's sword practice is out?"

All Angeal could do was _blink_. It was so hot he wanted to melt into a puddle, and Zack wanted to run around working out. "Yeah. Canceled. VR is out because the energy grid is maxed out because everyone is trying to cool off, and I'm not about to risk heat stroke right now."

Zack put his hands on his hips. "But it's easy to not get heat stroke. All you need to drink lots and lots," he finally said. "That's what we do back home all the time. And when it gets really hot, we hit the hot springs in the forest."

Angeal felt something in his brain break. "Wait...wait, hot springs?! In _summer_!?"

Zack grinned. "Ten minutes in one, and it sure feels cooler outside," he said, and suddenly Zack himself made a whole lot more sense to Angeal.

Coming from a town _that_ crazy, no _wonder_ the kid was spastic. The place had boiled his brains away long ago.

"I'll stick with fans and popsicles," Angeal finally said. "Once it's cool enough to move, that is," he said, and stared at his fridge longingly. He was pretty sure he still had a couple in there, since even though Genesis was a dirty, rotten, stinking popsicle thief, Angeal had gone shopping the day before, so there had to at least be a _couple_ still left in there.

And if there _wasn't_, he was going on a stealth mission and raiding Gen's fridge later to take all his Banora Ale and replace it with apple cider.

"Popsicles?" Zack said, perking up, and Angeal chuckled. If the boy had a tail, it'd be wagging, he figured, and Angeal suddenly decided to take advantage of the situation.

"You can have one if you bring me one," Angeal said, fanning his neck quickly to dry it off some, then slumping even more in his chair. "Fetch," Angeal said with a grin under his breath, so quietly he knew Zack couldn't hear him, then couldn't keep the grin off his face when Zack bounced off for the kitchen.


End file.
